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Here's my video of prototyping the rubber band powered self steering on Arawana. There's a description on YouTube of how it works. Happy to get more photos of components later on if anyone is interested.

Sent from a phone.

Last edited by brucemoffatt; 02-12-2018 at 07:37 PM.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

1. a 4mm spectra line loop that goes over the free headsail winch, and a small single roller block;

2. a length of 2mm Spectra line that runs in the small block. The Spectra has a loop in one end to go over the end of the tiller, a sheaveless block, and a snap shackle on the other end to capture the middle of the length of the headsail sheet between the last deck block and the sheet cleat. In this system the sails are set using the winch and cleat, then the winch is taken out of the picture leaving the sheet to run directly back to the cleat.

Sent from a phone.

Last edited by brucemoffatt; 02-14-2018 at 01:28 AM.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Sounds good. We had a paravane and lure out for around 10 of the 13 hours we were out when the latest videos were made. From too slow - 2 knots, to ideal - 3.5 to 4 knots, to too fast for the vane at 7 knots, and we never had a slightest nibble on either of the lures we tried.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Originally Posted by Portland

Well , this book is a Pommy book , but still very good , with detailed explanations.
7 knots you could try a tuna lure , but what if you caught one !!.
Rob J.

Ya know, I've never really considered what I'd do if I caught one. It seems such a remote possibility I've never given it much thought. Smaller fish I'd just reel them in and chuck them in a bucket while I got sorted, then clean and cook later. But a tuna, well I'd be lost for how to land it, let alone deal with a flapping death fish in my small cockpit. The bloke down the street has a big stink boat with huge outboards on the back and he goes out and actually catches fish. It all seems like an alien experience to me. Good on him, I say, although he has never offered me a taste of what he catches. But for the gallons and gallons of fuel he uses he deserves at least something for his trouble.

I'll see if I can get a copy of that book, just for a laugh.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Yes , its something to consider , what to do with a big bugger.
Or squid , they can be fun too.
It used to be good with Leckie on board , he would still be screeching around under sail , and have the squid cleaned up in a couple of minutes.

Re: Voyages of Arawana

With the 14 kilo tuna I caught on the way to the WBF last Feb we cut some up for sashimi and the rest we cryovaced and put in the fridge. Also gave some to people we met along the way. We used an inverter for the cryovac.
There are Bluefin being caught out from the rip and off Phillip Island. I hooked up as I passed each cape at the bottom of Tas but the fish ignored other lures and went for mine only....the cheapest lure on offer! A soft plastic squid with blue white and pink
and some silver speckles, the type with a ball sinker in the head.

Last edited by Hallam; 02-19-2018 at 09:13 PM.

If war is the answer........... it must be a profoundly stupid question

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Originally Posted by Phil Y

Nah, fish have no feelings.

I think you know that I was talking about my feelings. How can someone drag a piece of plastic behind their boat and catch all that sashimi? I dragged a heap of lures 1600 NM and got a feed of bony barabloodycouda. The tuna are running here at the moment. I dragged a good selection of lures and didn't even catch any weed. I think I'm going to give up on fish. I hope they still make scallop pies in Tassie because the finny fish can go jump.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

Re: Voyages of Arawana

.............well if it's any consolation Bruce, I've been dragging bloody lures behind boats for most of my life and these are the first and only Tuna i have ever caught, though I did catch a Pike the other day not far out from Blairgowrie

PS; Its the blue one on the right that the tuna went for... at $8 it was the cheapest in the shop! ....and I lost an even bigger fish as we passed in the little gap between Tasman Isle and the cape. I couldn't stop it and it straightened the hook as i tightened the drag in an effort not to loose all my line!!! Got the lure back though. Your'e bound to get on when you do your Tassy trip.

Last edited by Hallam; 02-20-2018 at 05:01 AM.

If war is the answer........... it must be a profoundly stupid question

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Originally Posted by Portland

Yes , its something to consider , what to do with a big bugger.
Or squid , they can be fun too.
It used to be good with Leckie on board , he would still be screeching around under sail , and have the squid cleaned up in a couple of minutes.

As a 14 year old in an 8ft pram dinghy I abandoned ship to a very active 5 ft barracuda with very sharp teeth. Made a mess of the thwarts.

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Re: Voyages of Arawana

You can usually find the made up Williamson lures in a little wallet for a light price at a chandlers. A couple of different head types and colours, just swap em around until you hook something. That is a really good tuna!

Locally we hook up about 10 kingfish a year normally ,quite a few kahawai ,and a few skippys.

Last winter was different of course . In the tropics ( and using those inexpensive tuna lures as above , modified to steel trace) we famously lost something the size of a piano ( that one on my dinner knife lure), something else smaller but with a friend who bit through the steel trace at the swivel, a black marlin at about a boat length and a half away, a sailfish at about 100 metres ..... and other teethy things that may or may not have been walu and or wahoo. Thank goodness the big fishes spat the hooks, I dunno what we would have done.

We did actually land barracuda, rainbow runner and walu. And mahimahi. and a couple of smallish yellowfin tuna.

All by following fishing rule number one and not much else.
first... you put a line in the water.

Re: Voyages of Arawana

It looks like a Navik. Not sure whether type 1 or 2. More info to follow. Plastimo used to brand-name them. French design, they usually work well. It loks like the original oar has been replaced so I may have to shape a NACA0012 replacement, which will be a fun project.

Last edited by brucemoffatt; 02-27-2018 at 10:10 PM.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

Re: Voyages of Arawana

The Navik will be a perfect match for Awarana.
Just make sure you have a lanyard on the servo oar and carry a spare ball joint linkage ( Teleflex morse cable ss end fittings may be a substitute for the Navik plastic ones)

Re: Voyages of Arawana

Originally Posted by Neil C

The Navik will be a perfect match for Awarana.
Just make sure you have a lanyard on the servo oar and carry a spare ball joint linkage ( Teleflex morse cable ss end fittings may be a substitute for the Navik plastic ones)

Thanks Neil. You're a treasure trove of useful information. I'm hoping to pick it up this Sunday. I'm still assuming it actually is a Navik/Plastimo. Some parts look like they have been replaced with generic backyard things. I'll give a full report when I get it.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book

Looks to me a bit like something a talented cockie made up in the back shed. I don't much like the angle iron bits, but the rest looks good enough.

That's what I'm thinking until I am informed otherwise. I've put it together and it seems to do its thing well enough. The mast may be too tall. I'll have to take some measurements and maybe even do a temp install to see if the ergonomics are acceptable, i. e. can it be operated in strong conditions without too big a risk of plummeting overboard. Much fun and profanity to be experienced in the near future.

Sent from a phone.

When I first joined WBF they made me write a book to prove I was a real yachty. I was so gullible.PaperbackE-book